The present invention relates generally to a method for felling a tree primarily for practice by those in the logging industry.
Briefly, conventional practice in tree felling includes the cutting of an undercut or face cut in a tree trunk transversely to the intended lay of the felled tree. Typically the face cut removes a tree trunk section having a rounded surface with two planar cut surfaces. The undercut extends somewhat less than half way through the tree trunk. A second cut, termed a back cut is made inwardly from the opposite side of the tree and extends inwardly anywhere from one-half to two-thirds of the trunk, diameter terminating in close proximity to the undercut at the time the fall commences. Many variations exist in the tree felling art, all primarily intended to achieve felling of the tree to the desired lay. The holding wood, in the area intermediate the undercut and the backcut, is reduced by further cutting which may be angulary varied relative to the backcut to sever the holding wood so as to assure desired falling.
A common problem encountered by loggers is the felling of a tree without upwardly extending splinters, sometimes several feet in length, being extracted from the butt of the fallen tree. Such splinters leave a corresponding void in the butt of the fallen tree which undesirably reduces the number of board feet derived from the tree.
Attendant the felling of a tree is the risk encountered by loggers in the rapid extraction of a root pulled by a lengthwise extending wood splinter adjacent the tree exterior. A logger standing at the side of the tree stump may be severely injured by a pulled root which may not be discernible until too late.